Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a textile fabric as well as a motor vehicle having such a textile fabric.
Textile fabrics having illuminating properties are known and can be used to illuminate a vehicle interior in a motor vehicle. For this purpose, optical fibers, which provide a partial lateral extraction of the light input into them, can be introduced into such a textile fabric. A conventional woven fabric, for example, can be used as a textile medium, since the production process thereof is particularly well suited for the incorporation of optical fibers.
Conventionally, optical fibers introduced into the woven fabric are optical fibers used in the field of data transfer for signal transfer and are modified for use as a light source in a textile fabric in such a way that they not only transport light from a first to a second end of the optical fiber, but can at least partially extract it in a transverse direction of the optical fiber. Such a lateral extraction of light from the optical fiber can be achieved by a suitable surface treatment or a suitable doping of the fiber material of the optical fibers, but also by the selection of suitable bending radii of the optical fibers.
A disadvantage of such conventional textile fabrics, however, is that these do not have the resistance required for permanent use in a motor vehicle; due to the type of connection between the optical fibers and the woven fabric, the optical fibers in such conventional woven fabrics are arranged directly on the surface of the woven fabric and are only fixed to this by a few connection points. As a consequence, the optical fibers are susceptible to external mechanical influences. Although this can be counteracted by a suitable surface treatment, this often leads to an undesired worsening of the optical properties of the optical fibers incorporated into the textile fabric. For example, such a surface treatment can lead to an inhomogeneous radiation of light as well as to undesired “sparkles” on the textile fabric, which, as a consequence, produces an uneven and thus inferior appearance of the textile fabric in a motor vehicle. Additionally, such a surface treatment is relatively cost-intensive, which is disadvantageous for the production costs for such conventional textile fabrics.
German patent document DE 10 2007 018 227 A1 describes a textile fabric, a carrier material and a plurality of bundles having optical fibers. The bundles having optical fibers are fixed to the carrier material by at least one thread. At the same time, the at least one thread holds together the fiber bundle.
European patent document EP 2 267 204 A1 describes a textile fabric having at least two warp threads that run in parallel to each other. An optical fiber is arranged between the warp threads that run in parallel to each other, the optical fiber likewise running in parallel to the warp threads and being fixed in its position relative to the warp threads.
United States patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,928 describes a flat panel illumination system, having at least one light emission device and at least one optical fiber connected to the light emission device.
United States patent document U.S. 2005/0252568 A1 describes a fabric having a plurality of first light-reflecting fiber units, which are arranged substantially in parallel to one another, at a distance in a first direction, as well as a plurality of optical fiber units, which are arranged substantially in parallel to one another, at a distance to one another in a second direction. Each optical fiber unit has at least one light-emitting side section and the light-reflecting fiber units and the optical fiber units are arranged to cross one another. The luminescent fabric furthermore comprises a plurality of light-accumulating fiber units arranged along the first and second direction, wherein a part of the light-accumulating fiber units are interwoven with the first light-reflecting fiber units in the first direction, and wherein a section of the light-accumulating fiber units is interwoven with the optical fiber units.
United States patent document U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,844 B2 describes a fiber optic fabric having woven optical fibers, a light permeable coating on the fibers and openings at the highest points of the fabric. The light permeable coating prevents undesired leakage of light from the fibers, whereas the openings allow the emission of light from the fibers in a directed manner. The optical fibers allow the emission of light at a radiation angle relative to the surface of the fibers in such a way that the light is not visible from every observation point.
European patent document EP 1 877 605 B1 describes a method for the production of textile surfaces having functional threads arranged therein. These functional threads can radiate light at least in sections in a radial direction. The functional threads are inserted into the textile fiber in a weaving process without contributing to the construction of the textile, and are held by this.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to an improved embodiment for a textile fabric, in which the disadvantages referred to above are eliminated or at least reduced.
According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention the textile fabric is formed in multiple layers, so with several fabric layers, wherein, in a first layer, optical fibers are provided for light emission, and wherein a second layer, which abuts onto this first layer, is formed as a protective layer. In this manner, the textile fabric according to the invention has very good optical properties with regard to the flat emission of light and additionally has the mechanical properties required for use in a motor vehicle, such as, for example, high abrasion resistance. The textile fabric according to the invention comprises at least one first fabric layer, which has a plurality of warp and weft threads, as well as a light emission layer, which abuts onto the first fabric layer in a flat manner and connects to this and is formed for the conduction and emission of light. Here, the first fabric layer assumes the function of a protective layer for the actual light emission layer, such that the light emission layer itself must have no particular mechanical properties with regard to its abrasion resistance, but rather can be optimized with regard to the effective and homogeneous emission of light. At least the first fabric layer can be formed as a conventional fabric having a plurality of warp and weft threads. The warp and weft threads preferably consist of a material having a particularly high abrasion resistance and at the same time is optimized with regard to the transmission of light from the light emission layer.
For example, the first fabric layer can comprise warp and weft threads made from transparent synthetic fibers, for example made from polypropylene (PP) or polyester (PES) or polyamide (PA). The synthetic fibers can therein be formed of mono- or multi-filaments.
In a preferred embodiment, the light emission layer can comprise a second fabric layer having warp and weft threads, wherein at least one of these warp or weft threads is an optical fiber, by means of which light is able to be extracted at least partially from this, transversely to a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber. The at least one optical fiber can be undulated in the second fabric layer by means of weft or warp threads that are complementary to the optical fiber. Due to the formation of the light emission layer as a second fabric layer having warp and weft threads, the at least one optical fiber can be added to the textile fabric in a mechanically stable manner, such that, in this way, a homogeneous radiation of light extracted from the optical fiber is achieved even over a large operational time period.
The optical fiber is preferably a synthetic fiber made from polymethacrylic acid ester (PMMA), polystyrene (PS) or polycarbonate (PC). Optical fibers made from such materials are particularly cost-effective to produce, such that the production costs of the textile fabric according to the invention can thus be reduced.
Alternatively, the light emission layer can comprise an electroluminescent yarn arranged to be free of undulations between the first and a third fabric layer. The electroluminescent yarn arranged to be free of undulations between the first and third fabric layer can be arranged with an additional cover and base layer between the first and third fabric layer. A particularly homogeneous emission of light from the light emission layer can be implemented by means of a light emission layer formed in this way.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, a reflective layer can be arranged on a surface of the light emission layer facing away from the first fabric layer, which reflects light emitted from the light emission layer in the direction of the first fabric layer. The reflective layer can be formed as a third fabric layer having warp and weft threads. A particularly high light output of the light emitted by the light emission layer can be achieved by a reflective layer formed in this way, such that particularly high optical efficiency can be achieved by such a textile fabric.
In a further embodiment, which is particularly simple and thus cost-effective to produce, the third fabric layer can comprise at least one synthetic fiber made from polymethacrylic acid ester (PMMA).
In order to be able to fix the light emission layer permanently to the first fabric layer or the reflective layer in a mechanically stable manner, the light emission layer can be fixed to the first fabric layer or the reflective layer by means of a first and/or a second adhesive layer. Alternatively or additionally, in order to further improve the fixing of the light emission layer to the first fabric layer or the reflective layer, the light emission layer can be fixed to the first fabric layer and/or the reflective layer by means of at least one connection warp thread and/or by means of at least one connection weft thread. Alternatively, the reflective layer can be fixed to the fabric layer by means of at least one connection warp thread and/or by means of at least one connection weft thread.
In order to further improve the material properties of the textile fabric with regard to drapability, etc. and further requirements, as can be required for a use of the textile fabric in a motor vehicle, the first fabric layer and/or the second fabric layer and/or the third fabric layer can comprise at least one elastane yarn.
Alternatively or additionally, the first fabric layer can comprise at least one transparent fabric fiber, in particular made from polypropylene (PP) or polyester (PES) or polyamide (PA), and/or at least one transparent natural fiber, in particular made from silk or cotton. Alternatively or additionally, the first and/or second and/or third fabric layer can comprise a heatable and or electrically conductive and/or fluorescent and/or antibacterial thread. Further effects that increase driving comfort and/or hygiene can hereby be achieved.
The invention furthermore relates to a motor vehicle having a vehicle interior and having a textile fabric added to the vehicle interior having one or more of the features referred to above.
Further important features and advantages of the invention result from the sub-claims, from the drawings and from the related description of the figures by means of the drawings.
It is understood that the features referred to above and still to be explained below are applicable not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or individually, without leaving the scope of the present invention.
Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are depicted in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the description below, wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar or functionally identical components.